The New York Patriots - A Free To Play Project

[Magus978]

My goal with this team is simple...start out normally but eventually, and the keyword is EVENTUALLY transition into a historic all-NL East team. Let's not waste time and go right into what we have.

Pitching Staff
SP - Rick Reed (74) 1998 Historical All-Star bought for 375 PP
* SP - Robbie Ray (72)
* SP - Steve Sparks (68) 1995 Rookie Sensation
* SP - Roenis Elias (68)
* SP - Hal Brown (68) 1963 Record Breaker
* RP - Terry Leach (68) 1988 Unsung Heroes
* RP - Ryan Buchter (66)
* RP - Corbin Burnes (66)
* RP - T.J. McFarland (60)
* RP - Drew VerHagen (57)
* CL - Jonathan Holder (69)


[U[Hitters[/U]
* C - Alex Avila (72)
* C - Gene Tenace (61) 1972 Unsung Heroes
1B - Rafael Palmeiro (77) 1991 Historical All Star bought for 599 PP
* 1B - Albert Pujols (58)
* 2B - Don Zimmer (57) 1955 Unsung Heroes
* 3B - Kyle Farmer (56)
* 3B - Carter Kieboom (73) Future Legend
* SS - Abiatal Avelino (58)
* SS - Johnny Bernardino (56) 1940 Unsung Heroes
* LF - Austin Slater (62)
* CF - Chili Davis (83) 1984 Historic All Star
* CF - Carlos Tocci (61)
RF - Jay Buhner (69) 1995 Historic All Star bought for 52 PP
* RF - D.J. Stewart (59)



All players 2019 MLB Live players unless noted


* indicates starter pack player

Yeah, I know, it looks pretty bleak already...but until I get more of the currency via games, that's all I got


NEXT POST: A few games because that's what you do in entry pool leagues, maybe a purchase if I feel like it. Otherwise, I might just store PP and try to get someone really good.

[Magus978]

Afternoon Transactions

Two packs bought. Nothing special from either. Sad!

Best players were SP Milt Pappas (67), 1B Mickey Vernon (68), & SP Kolby Allard (64)

Vernon was placed into my lineup as the DH. Good contact hitter and can hit'em in the gap, can't do much else. Pappas doesn't even make my rotation, and I don't see a use for him out of my bullpen due to subpar movement.

Allard was put in my bullpen as our long relief guy. He'll probably be the one that gets sent out to take one for the team when we're losing by all of the runs.

Also, we won a game!

[sethisthegoat]

I really like that Vernon card! Can be a solid bat that lets you build up some other areas before addressing 1B/DH

[Magus978]

Originally Posted by sethisthegoat

I really like that Vernon card! Can be a solid bat that lets you build up some other areas before addressing 1B/DH

He's gotten off to a slow start, hitting sub-.200, but hopefully he'll pick it up a bit when I post my next update later. Thanks for the feedback!

[Magus978]

Day 1 - EVENING UPDATE (Accurate as of 8:07 PM)

Record: 7-5
Overall Record: 7-5
Position: 9th place in Entry Pool League Omega PSI

Current Lineup
1. LF - Austin Slater (.333, 2 HR, 7 RBI)
2. 3B - Carter Kieboom (.360, 2 HR, 7 RBI)
3. 1B - Rafael Palmeiro (.311, 4 HR, 8 RBI)
4. CF - Chili Davis (.176, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
5. RF - Jay Buhner (.298, 4 HR, 13 RBI)
6. C - Alex Avila (.303, 5 HR, 13 RBI)
7. DH - Mickey Vernon (.286, 2 HR, 9 RBI)
8. 2B - Wally Backman (.381, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
9. SS - Johnny Bernardino (.240, 1 HR, 4 RBI)

Pitching Staff
SP - Rick Reed (2-1, 7.13)
SP - John Maine (No Stats)
SP - Robbie Ray (0-1, 10.24)
SP - Steve Sparks (1-0, 3.46)
SP - Roenis Elias (1-1, 2.25)

RP - Kolby Allard (2-0, 2.31)
RP - Corbin Burnes (0-0, 1.08, 1 sv)
RP - Ryan Buchter (1-0, 0.00)
RP - T.J. McFarland (0-0, 0.00)
RP - Terry Leach (0-0, 2.16, 2 sv)

CL - Jonathan Holder (0-0, 3.00, 2 sv)

Top Performers
Batting Average: Carter Kieboom (.360)
Home Runs: Alex Avila (5)
RBI: Alex Avila & Jay Buhner (13)

ERA: Roenis Elias (2.25)
Wins: Kolby Allard & Rick Reed (2)
Strikeouts: Robbie Ray (14)

Who's Hot?
C - Alex Avila: 6-16, 4 HR, 11 RBI in his last 4 games
3B - Carter Kieboom: 9-21, 2 HR, 3 RBI in his last 5 games

Who Sucks?
SP - Robbie Ray: 0-1, 10.24 ERA in last 3 starts, has not gone further than 4 innings per start
CF - Chili Davis: 2-19, 1 RBI in his last 5 games, hitting .176 through 12 games

Transactions
SP - John Maine (74) One Hit Wonders Bought for 350 PP
2B - Wally Backman (62) Unsung Heroes Bought for 32 PP

Current Coin Count: 532

If there's any other information that you'd like to know, don't be afraid to ask!

[Magus978]

DAY 1 - THROUGH THE NIGHT

Record: 12-16
Current Record: 19-21
Position: 33rd in Entry Pool League Omega PSI

Hitter Stats
C - Alex Avila: .202, 8 HR, 21 RBI
C - Gene Tenace: .149, 0 HR, 1 RBI
1B - Rafael Palmeiro: .316, 6 HR, 17 RBI
1B/DH - Mickey Vernon: .250, 2 HR, 13 RBI
2B - Wally Backman: .333, 1 HR, 12 RBI
2B - Don Zimmer: .219, 2 HR, 5 RBI
3B - Carter Kieboom: .317, 3 HR, 17 RBI
SS - Abiatal Avelino: .303, 2 HR, 11 RBI
SS - Johnny Bernardino: .211, 2 HR, 6 RBI
LF - Austin Slater: .257, 6 HR, 21 RBI
CF - Chili Davis: .248, 10 HR, 28 RBI
CF - Carlos Tocci: .375, 0 HR, 0 RBI
RF - Jay Buhner: .275, 12 HR, 31 RBI
RF - D.J. Stewart: .323, 1 HR, 4 RBI

Pitcher Stats
SP - Rick Reed: 7-2, 5.02
SP - John Maine: 1-1, 7.34
SP - Robbie Ray: 2-3, 5.70
SP - Steve Sparks: 1-4, 4.98
SP - Roenis Elias: 3-3, 3.61

RP - Kolby Allard: 1-0, 5.60
RP - Ryan Buchter: 3-1, 3.50
RP - Corbin Burnes: 0-0, 2.70, 2 sv
RP - Terry Leach: 0-1, 2.82, 3 sv
RP - Greg McMichael: 0-0, 2.51, 1 sv
CL - Jonathan Holder: 0-1, 2.76, 8 sv

TOP PERFORMERS
Batting Average: Carter Kieboom (.317)
Home Runs: Jay Buhner (12)
RBI: Jay Buhner (31)

ERA: Roenis Elias (3.61)
Wins: Rick Reed (7)
Strikeouts: Rick Reed (50)

WHO'S HOT?
3B - Carter Kieboom: Recently had a 21-game hitting streak

WHO SUCKS?
SP - John Maine: 0-1, 17.55 in his last 2 starts
RP - Kolby Allard: 0-1, 8.04 in his last 8 appearances
C - Alex Avila: Average dropped from .303 to .202 through the night

TRANSACTIONS
RP - Greg McMichael (70) 1995 Unsung Heroes Bought for 399 coins

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 813

Thoughts: I'm aware of the fact that this is glorified spring training as far as perfect team goes, but slipping under .500 fills me with great sadness. The pitching has fallen completely apart with the exceptions of Roenis Elias, Greg McMichael, Corbin Burnes, & Terry Leach. There are a lot of spots that need attention, and I simply do not have the coins to properly upgrade everyone right now. It looks like, at least for the time being, that the slog will continue with this group, which is clearly not ready for proper league play.

POLL TIME! I want to put a question to all of you. In my quest to have an all NL East theme team, there are two ways I can go about this.

1. I can buy any players who have played in the NL East, no matter what their listed team is.
2. I can only buy players who are listed as from the Braves, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, or Nationals/Expos.

VOTE NOW! This will go on until I've made a decision.

[stl jason]

I'd say start with #2 to keep it a narrow focus.... if you get to a point where it's just not working / not holding your interest, then expand out to #1...


and don't worry about the entry pool record.... my team was sub-500 in entry pool and won their Iron league division / went to the LCS the next week...

[gemini615]

I agree with stl jasons advice

[Magus978]

I thank the both of you for your input, and I will do that. We'll build it with just players listed from those teams. Hopefully many more historic guys will be released for them.

DAY 2 - AFTERNOON SESSION

Record: 5-2
Current Record: 24-23
Position: 27th in Entry Pool League Omega PSI

PURCHASES
LF - Jeff Conine 1995 Historical All Star Bought for 300 coins
SP - Ken Hill 1994 Historical All Star Bought for 250 coins
CF - Aaron Rowand 2007 Historical All Star Bought for 220 coins

The plan for Rowand is to let him get some swings off the bench, and before the next season, sell Chili Davis as he is not an NL East player. Then it'll be Rowand's time to shine!

NEW LINEUP
1. DH - Mickey Vernon (.289, 3 HR, 21 RBI)
2. LF - Jeff Conine
3. 1B - Rafael Palmeiro (.302, 7 HR, 22 RBI)
4. CF - Chili Davis (.254, 11 HR, 31 RBI)
5. RF - Jay Buhner (.273, 12 HR, 32 RBI)
6. 3B - Carter Kieboom (.273, 12 HR, 32 RBI)
7. C - Alex Avila (.227, 9 HR, 22 RBI)
8. 2B - Wally Backman (.333, 1 HR, 17 RBI)
9. SS - Johnny Bernardino (.228, 3 HR, 9 RBI)

UPDATED PITCHING STAFF
1. Rick Reed (8-2, 5.05)
2. John Maine (1-1, 7.64)
3. Robbie Ray (2-3, 5.67)
4. Ken Hill
5. Roenis Elias (3-4, 4.59)

BULLPEN
Long Relief - Kolby Allard (2-1, 5.80)
Middle Relief - Ryan Buchter (3-1, 3.18)
Middle Relief - Corbin Burnes (0-0, 3.14, 2 sv)
Middle Relief - Greg McMichael (0-0, 2.00, 1 sv)
Stopper - Terry Leach (1-2, 3.12, 3 sv)
Closer - Jonathan Holder (2-1, 2.01, 9 sv)

Notes: My logic for using a stopper as well as a closer is simply this. There are scenarios where I would not want to bring my closer in early. That's what Terry Leach is for. Better not to waste the closer when it might not be completely necessary. Anyway, the good news is that we're back over .500! The bad news is that I've used up all my coins. Let's hope the changes I've made work.

Who's hot/Who sucks returns in the evening update.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 178

[Magus978]

DAY 2 - EVENING SESSION

Record: 2-5
Current Record: 26-28
Position: 33rd in Entry Pool League Omega PSI

Hitter Stats
C - Alex Avila (.232, 9 HR, 24 RBI)
C - Gene Tenace (.174, 0 HR, 2 RBI)
1B - Rafael Palmeiro (.280, 7 HR, 22 RBI)
2B - Wally Backman (.344, 1 HR, 21 RBI)
2B - Don Zimmer (.211, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
3B - Von Hayes (.500, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
SS - Johnny Bernardino (.245, 4 HR, 12 RBI)
SS - Carter Kieboom (.313, 4 HR, 24 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.250, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
LF - Austin Slater (.256, 7 HR, 26 RBI)
CF - Timo Perez (.133, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.174, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
RF - Jay Buhner (.279, 16 HR, 40 RBI)

Pitcher Stats
SP - Rick Reed (8-3, 4.83)
SP - John Maine (2-2, 6.52)
SP - Robbie Ray (3-3, 5.60)
SP - Ken Hill (0-1, 7.94)
SP - Roenis Elias (3-4, 4.09)

RP - Kolby Allard (2-1, 5.65)
RP - Ryan Buchter (3-1, 2.88)
RP - Corbin Burnes (0-1, 3.74, 2 sv)
RP - Terry Leach (1-3, 4.71, 3 sv)
RP - Greg McMichael (0-0, 3.22, 1 sv)
CL - Jonathan Holder (2-1, 2.59, 9 sv)

TRANSACTIONS
None. Just quickselling a bunch of reserve roster players that I won't ever use.

WHO'S HOT?
Me - I should probably take off this sweater and put on a t-shirt.

WHO SUCKS?
1B - Rafael Palmeiro: 3/25 in his last 6 games
SP - John Maine: 1-2, 8.51 ERA in his last 5 starts

Notes: Attempting to sell 83-rated Chili Davis has been futile so far, but I'm hoping that if he sells soon, I can give our starting rotation a decent upgrade. We cannot hope to win in a proper league when we're ranking 50th out of 60 teams in starting pitching ERA. We really need to do better as a team, because even though we are one of the better teams in the league offensively, we can't outslug our opponents every night. I would genuinely love to upgrade our pitching, but there aren't any capable candidates that fit my strict requirements.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 583

[Magus978]

DAY 2 - THROUGH THE NIGHT
Record: 12-9
Current Record: 38-37
Position: Who cares, it's entry pool!

HITTING STATS
C - Alex Avila (.253, 13 HR, 34 RBI)
C - Gene Tenace (.200, 0 HR, 7 RBI)
1B - Rafael Palmeiro (.283, 9 HR, 39 RBI)
2B - Wally Backman (.327, 1 HR, 24 RBI)
2B - Don Zimmer (.184, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
3B - Von Hayes (.241, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
SS - Johnny Bernardino (.237, 4 HR, 11 RBI)
SS - Carter Kieboom (.321, 9 HR, 39 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.297, 2 HR, 12 RBI)
LF - Austin Slater (.255, 9 HR, 29 RBI)
CF - Timo Perez (.250, 0 HR, 5 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.263, 4 HR, 15 RBI)
RF - Jay Buhner (.247, 18 HR, 45 RBI)
DH - Mickey Vernon (.264, 5 HR, 33 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (10-4, 4.18)
SP - John Maine (2-5, 6.95)
SP - Robbie Ray (4-4, 4.62)
SP - Ken Hill (3-2, 4.54)
SP - Roenis Elias (5-5, 3.91)

RP - Kolby Allard (3-1, 4.97, 1 sv)
RP - Ryan Buchter (3-1, 2.27)
RP - Corbin Burnes (0-2, 3.54, 4 sv)
RP - Terry Leach (1-3, 3.96, 3 sv)
RP - Greg McMichael (2-0, 4.36, 1 sv)
CL - Jonathan Holder (3-2, 3.41, 10 sv)

TRANSACTIONS
CF - Lance Johnson (75) 1996 Historical All Star Purchased for 400 coins

WHO'S HOT?
SP - Robbie Ray: 1-0, 1.89 in his last 3 starts
RP - Ryan Buchter: 0.56 ERA in his last 16 appearances

WHO SUCKS?
SP - John Maine: 1-5, 8.03 ERA in his last 10 starts

Notes: I'm glad to see we're over .500, really I am. I'm not glad, however, that our starting pitching continues to bleed runs night after night. You cannot hope to win in a proper league when 4 of your 5 starters have ERA's over 4, and the only one who doesn't is treading water at 3.91. Our offense continues to be the team's brightest spot, but at some point we will be replacing Mickey Vernon & Alex Avila. Vernon's been up and down, mostly down, and Avila's a known commodity of not being able to consistently hit. Also, I couldn't resist on getting Lance Johnson for 400 coins. I had been regularly seeing his card going for 4-figures, so at 400 it's a steal. Once I get into Iron league properly, I can try to train Rowand to play right field, and place Johnson into center. We'll see what happens.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 1,118

[Magus978]

DAY 3 - AFTERNOON SESSION

Record: 11-8
Current Record: 49-45

TRANSACTIONS
SS - Jeff Blauser (73) 1993 Historical All Star Bought for 169 coins
RP - Tim Burke (66) 1985 Rookie Sensation Bought for 40 coins
CL - John Franco (75) 1990 Hardware Heroes Bought for 350 coins
1 pack (Bronzes I can't use) 1,000 coins down the drain

HITTER STATS
C - Alex Avila (.266, 14 HR, 41 RBI)
C - Gene Tenace (.241, 0 HR, 12 RBI)
1B - Rafael Palmeiro (.285, 14 HR, 57 RBI)
1B - Mickey Vernon (.258, 5 HR, 36 RBI)
2B - Wally Backman (.327, 1 HR, 35 RBI)
2B - Don Zimmer (.186, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
3B - Von Hayes (.284, 7 HR, 17 RBI)
SS - Carter Kieboom (.312, 12 HR, 50 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.138, 0 HR, 2 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.311, 5 HR, 29 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.250, 0 HR, 6 RBI)
CF - Lance Johnson (.226, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.281, 6 HR, 22 RBI)
RF - Jay Buhner (.250, 21 HR, 57 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (10-5, 4.67)
SP - John Maine (4-6, 6.42)
SP - Robbie Ray (7-5, 4.62)
SP - Ken Hill (4-3, 4.34)
SP - Roenis Elias (6-5, 4.08)

RP - Ryan Buchter (3-2, 2.89)
RP - Tim Burke (0-0, 0.00)
RP - Terry Leach (2-3, 4.24, 3 sv)
RP - Jonathan Holder (4-3, 3.45, 11 sv)
RP - Greg McMichael (2-1, 3.86, 2 sv)
CL - John Franco (1-1, 1.69, 3 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Supermodels. They're smokin' hot.

WHO SUCKS?
SS - Jeff Blauser: 1-24 in his last 6 games


CURRENT COIN COUNT: 214

[Magus978]

DAY 3 - THROUGH THE NIGHT

Record: 20-6
Current Record: 69-51

TRANSACTIONS
CL - Jeff Reardon (71) 1985 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 530 points
SP - Tom Seaver (74) 1967 Rookie Sensation Purchased for 500 points
C - Mike Lieberthal (69) 2000 Historical All Star Purchased for 90 points

HITTING STATS
C - Alex Avila (.261, 17 HR, 55 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (No stats)
1B - Rafael Palmeiro (.306, 23 HR, 84 RBI)
1B - Mickey Vernon (.253, 6 HR, 40 RBI)
2B - Wally Backman (.316, 1 HR, 41 RBI)
2B - Don Zimmer (.228, 5 HR, 12 RBI)
3B - Von Hayes (.279, 14 HR, 42 RBI)
SS - Carter Kieboom (.320, 17 HR, 68 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.180, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.305, 7 HR, 34 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.294, 3 HR, 20 RBI)
CF - Lance Johnson (.264, 0 HR, 11 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.282, 6 HR, 31 RBI)
RF - Jay Buhner (.257, 25 HR, 74 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (13-6, 4.47)
SP - John Maine (8-7, 5.81)
SP - Robbie Ray (9-5, 4.79)
SP - Ken Hill (5-4, 4.12)
SP - Roenis Elias (9-6, 3.76)

RP - Ryan Buchter (3-2, 2.34)
RP - Tim Burke (1-0, 0.95)
RP - Terry Leach (5-4, 3.84, 4 sv)
RP - Jonathan Holder (6-4, 3.12, 12 sv)
RP - Greg McMichael (2-1, 3.81, 6 sv)
CL - John Franco (2-1, 2.25, 9 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
SP - Ken Hill (1-0, 1.38 ERA in last 2 starts)
1B - Rafael Palmeiro (.455, 3 HR, 7 RBI in last 6 games)

WHO SUCKS?
The guy at the fried chicken stand inside The Black Hole. WORK FASTER YOU LAZY OAF!

Notes: I'm genuinely shocked. We went from treading water around .500, to demolishing everyone in our way. Emboldened by this and with a bigger coin stack, I've gone and bought a few players. I don't want to mess with what we have right now, so I'm not prepared to unleash Seaver and Reardon on our opposition yet, but they will be joining the team in time for the start of our first Iron league campaign. Plus, we still have a good amount of coins to make any kind of cheaper additions if the opportunity arises.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 1,314

[Magus978]

DAY 4 - THROUGH THE NIGHT

Record: 20-21
Current Record: 89-72

TRANSACTIONS
1 pack (1,000 coins of nothing)
C - Gary Carter (70) 1986 Historical All Star Purchased for 600 coins
SP - Jerry Koosman (74) 1968 Rookie Sensation Purchased for 340 coins
2B - Luis Castillo (72) 2003 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 325 coins
3B - Wayne Garrett (69) 1973 Unsung Heroes Purchased for 29 coins

REMOVED FROM TEAM
SP - Robbie Ray (11-6, 4.73)
SP - Roenis Elias (10-8, 3.64)
RP - Jonathan Holder (6-5, 3.36, 12 sv)
C - Alex Avila (.257, 18 HR, 60 RBI)
1B - Mickey Vernon (.265, 6 HR, 46 RBI)
2B - Don Zimmer (.239, 6 HR, 13 RBI)

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.186, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.157, 1 HR, 6 RBI)
1B - Rafael Palmeiro (.289, 29 HR, 98 RBI)
2B - Wally Backman (.320, 1 HR, 54 RBI)
2B - Luis Castillo (No stats)
3B - Von Hayes (.259, 24 HR, 63 RBI)
3B - Wayne Garrett (.270, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
SS - Carter Kieboom (.309, 22 HR, 92 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.176, 4 HR, 19 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.292, 12 HR, 58 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.300, 5 HR, 30 RBI)
CF - Lance Johnson (.273, 0 HR, 20 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.298, 9 HR, 43 RBI)
RF - Jay Buhner (.253, 32 HR, 95 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (17-8, 4.42)
SP - Tom Seaver (1-0, 6.57)
SP - Jerry Koosman (No stats)
SP - Ken Hill (6-9, 4.49)
SP - John Maine (10-11, 5.02)

RP - Ryan Buchter (5-3, 2.35, 1 sv)
RP - Tim Burke (2-1, 1.83, 1 sv)
RP - Terry Leach (6-5, 3.09, 7 sv)
RP - Jeff Reardon (1-0, 0.00)
ST - Greg McMichael (4-2, 4.02, 8 sv)
CL - John Franco (4-3, 1.93, 14 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
RP - Jeff Reardon: Has not given up a run in any of his 11 appearances (14.2 IP)
3B - Von Hayes: .417 (10/24), 4 HR, 7 RBI in his last 8 games

WHO SUCKS?
C - Mike Lieberthal: .048 (1/21) in his last 6 games

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 30

Notes: We're almost ready for Iron league! One more day of Entry Pool play awaits, and even though position in Entry Pool doesn't matter, I'm encouraged by the fact that we're 10th out of 60. The pitching has been better as of late, while our offense continues to power along. It's interesting that three of the players I'll have to replace soon (Rafael Palmeiro, Jay Buhner, and Carter Kieboom) are doing the majority of the work for our lineup. However, of the qualified additions, Jeff Conine and Von Hayes have impressed me the most. Our catchers have to get it together though, because as an NL East only team with no live or future legend cards allowed, I have no other options. The only thing left to do pitching-wise is replace Ryan Buchter, even though he's been great for us. Other than that, the theme team is set and I can then begin to stockpile coins for more ambitious upgrades.

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE - PREPARATION

We have been placed in Iron League .154, and having made my changes to be fully compliant with my own rules, I am not optimistic AT ALL. We will probably lose at least 90 games. If we can overachieve a tiny bit and avoid the 90 loss pitfall, that'll be one of the bigger moral victories I've had.

TRANSACTIONS
SP - Charlie Lea (68) 1984 Historical All Star Bought for 40 coins
SP - Gary Gentry (67) 1969 Rookie Sensation Bought for 33 coins
SS - Jimmy Rollins (69) 2005 HIstorical All Star Bought for 140 coins

HAPPY TRAILS
RP - Ryan Buchter
1B - Rafael Palmeiro
SS - Carter Kieboom
RF - Jay Buhner

LINEUP vs RHP
1. CF - Lance Johnson
2. 2B - Luis Castillo
3. LF - Jeff Conine
4. DH - Aaron Rowand
5. 1B - Von Hayes
6. SS - Jeff Blauser
7. 3B - Wayne Garrett
8. RF - Jason Heyward
9. C - Gary Carter

LINEUP vs LHP
1. CF - Lance Johnson
2. 2B - Luis Castillo
3. LF - Jeff Conine
4. DH - Aaron Rowand
5. 1B - Von Hayes
6. SS - Jeff Blauser
7. C - Mike Lieberthal
8. 3B - Wayne Garrett
9. RF - Jason Heyward

STARTING ROTATION
1. Rick Reed
2. Tom Seaver
3. Jerry Koosman
4. Ken Hill
5. John Maine

BULLPEN
Closer - John Franco
Setup - Greg McMichael
Middle Relievers - Tim Burke, Terry Leach, Jeff Reardon
Long Reliever - Charlie Lea

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 674

Notes: I will be very shocked if we do not lose 90+ games. We just aren't going to be good enough to compete this season. Starting bronzes in the lineup and having several bronzes filling roles in my pitching staff does not bode well for a team that wants to get out of Iron during its lifetime. A reminder that I can only get players from the current incarnation of NL East teams, that being the Atlanta Braves, Miami/Florida Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos.

[Magus978]

NOTE: Due to a patch being required to get into Perfect Team not being released on Origin yet, I will not be able to get in for the rest of the day. It sucks, and I'm missing out on potential auction steals, but it is what it is. Hopefully I'll be able to get back in before tomorrow.

Image files for reference this upcoming season. A visual representation of what we've got at the moment. Please excuse the poor cropping on some of these images.

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 1 - AFTERNOON REPORT

Record: 7-10
Position: 4th in AC Eastern Division

TRANSACTIONS
1B/DH - Al Oliver (70) 1982 Historic All Star Purchased for 250 points

HAPPY TRAILS!
2B - Ron Hunt Transferred to Inactive List

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.250, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.269, 0 HR, 2 RBI)
1B - Von Hayes (.229, 2 HR, 4 RBI)
2B - Wally Backman (0/1, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
2B - Luis Castillo (.324, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
3B - Wayne Garrett (.236, 0 HR, 2 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.263, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
SS - Jimmy Rollins (.143, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.279, 1 HR, 4 RBI)
CF - Lance Johnson (.262, 2 HR, 11 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.189, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.250, 0 HR, 6 RBI)
RF - Timo Perez (.167, 0 HR, 1 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (2-1, 2.54)
SP - Tom Seaver (1-2, 4.13)
SP - Jerry Koosman (0-1, 11.91)
SP - Ken Hill (0-2, 5.85)
SP - John Maine (1-1, 4.50)

RP - Tim Burke (0-0, 2.57, 1 sv)
RP - Terry Leach (0-0, 0.00)
RP - Jeff Reardon (1-0, 4.91)
RP - Charlie Lea (0-0, 1.23)
RP - Greg McMichael (2-1, 7.50)
CL - John Franco (0-2, 5.40, 4 sv)

Notes: It's early, but I already sense a Titanic-shaped disaster in progress. The bullpen, which was our strength in entry league, is becoming quite the albatross. It doesn't help that our offense can't get going either. Also, I would appreciate it if my #2 through #5 starters pulled their weight, not just my #1. I said from the start this could be a 90+ loss trainwreck, and so far, early returns indicate that I might not be too far off.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 874

Also, I have made an executive decision based on the lack of affordable silvers from the usual 5 franchises at the moment. I have decided that I will incorporate the teams that were in the NL East in the 1980's as well, so we will be adding players from the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals to the eligible player list. With that, here's the revised eligible team list...

TEAMS ELIGIBLE FOR PURCHASES
Atlanta Braves (1994-2019)
Chicago Cubs (1969-1993)
Florida Marlins (1993-2011)
Miami Marlins (2011-2019)
Montreal Expos (1969-2004)
New York Mets (1969-2019)
Philadelphia Phillies (1969-2019)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1969-1993)
St. Louis Cardinals (1969-1993)
Washington Nationals (2005-2019)

It'll be more fun this way and allow me to have more players to buy. This is also the last alteration to the team eligibility format that will be made. As far as players go, I'm eligible to use players from any year of the franchises listed above.

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 1 - BRIEF LATE NIGHT REPORT

TRANSACTIONS
3B - Bobby Bonilla (74) 1988 Historical All Star Purchased for 335 points
3B - Ryan Zimmerman (79) 2009 Historical All Star Purchased for 512 points

Notes: Zimmerman is good defensively, he'll be trained to play 1st base. Hopefully he'll take to it quick. Also, I've assigned Aaron Rowand to learn right field. As a result, Von Hayes is now the DH and Bobby Bonilla plays 3rd.

UPDATED LINEUP VS RHP
1. CF - Lance Johnson
2. 2B - Luis Castillo
3. LF - Jeff Conine
4. 3B - Bobby Bonilla
5. 1B - Ryan Zimmerman
6. RF - Aaron Rowand
7. DH - Von Hayes
8. C - Gary Carter
9. SS - Jeff Blauser

UPDATED LINEUP VS LHP
1. CF - Lance Johnson
2. 2B - Luis Castillo
3. LF - Jeff Conine
4. 3B - Bobby Bonilla
5. 1B - Ryan Zimmerman
6. RF - Aaron Rowand
7. DH - Von Hayes
8. C - Mike Lieberthal
9. SS - Jeff Blauser

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 327

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 2 - AFTERNOON SESSION

Record: 12-14
Overall Record: 19-21
Position: 4th in AC East, 3 games behind

TRANSACTIONS
SP - Burt Hooton 1972 Rookie Sensation Bought for 275 points

HAPPY TRAILS!
RP - Charlie Lea Sent to reserves

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.277, 7 HR, 15 RBI)
C - Mike Lieberthal (.225, 1 HR, 13 RBI)
1B - Von Hayes (.262, 4 HR, 12 RBI)
1B - Ryan Zimmerman (.137, 1 HR, 4 RBI)
2B - Wally Backman (.133, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
2B - Luis Castillo (.291, 3 HR, 12 RBI)
3B - Bobby Bonilla (.333, 4 HR, 13 RBI)
SS - Jeff Blauser (.256, 5 HR, 14 RBI)
SS - Jimmy Rollins (.153, 0 HR, 9 RBI)
LF - Jeff Conine (.301, 4 HR, 19 RBI)
LF - Timo Perez (.171, 0 HR, 5 RBI)
CF - Lance Johnson (.235, 3 HR, 21 RBI)
RF - Jason Heyward (.297, 1 HR, 10 RBI)
RF - Aaron Rowand (.248, 3 HR, 15 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Rick Reed (2-5, 4.01)
SP - Tom Seaver (4-2, 2.83)
SP - Jerry Koosman (2-2, 6.81)
SP - Burt Hooton (No stats)
SP - John Maine (3-2, 3.02)

RP - Tim Burke (1-1, 4.50, 1 sv)
RP - Terry Leach (1-0, 1.50)
RP - Ken Hill (3-3, 5.80)
RP - Greg McMichael (2-2, 7.59)
RP - Jeff Reardon (1-0, 3.66)
CL - John Franco (0-3, 3.68, 10 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Gary Carter (.302, 6 HR, 12 RBI in his last 16 games)
Jeff Conine (.440, 2 HR, 7 RBI in his last 7 games)
John Maine (2-1, 1.59 in his last 3 starts)
Tom Seaver (4-0, 1.42 in his last 6 starts)

WHO (REALLY BLEEPING) SUCKS?
Ryan Zimmerman (0/23 in his last 7 games)

Notes: We've been on both sides of .500, and it's much much colder on this side. Most of the chill coming from Ryan Zimmerman not being able to competently perform any baseball-related task whatsoever. I blame him for this current 6 game losing streak. He should go sit in the corner and think about why I'm insulting him. On the bright side, the starting pitching has not been bad, except for Ken Hill, who has been banished to the bullpen to make room for Burt Hooton and his knuckleball. Now can we please get back over .500 and stay there this time?

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 172

[Magus978]

IRON LEAGUE DAY 2 - NIGHTTIME CHECK-UP

TRANSACTIONS
1B - Gregg Jefferies (72) 1993 Historical All Star Purchased for 300 points
1B - Mark Grace (70) 1993 Historical All Star Purchased for 419 points

HAPPY TRAILS
SS - Jimmy Rollins

Notes: Why did I purchase a pair of 1st basemen? Well, Grace is good enough defensively to be retrained, so I'm probably gonna train him to play 3rd base for versatility reasons. Jefferies, however, doesn't have the defense to bother training him. Even without new position training, both are DH-worthy as they can get on base and have a little bit of power. Grace is coming up right now to replace Jimmy Rollins, and we're gonna try to train Luis Castillo at shortstop. This season is probably lost because I don't feel we're good enough to challenge for promotion yet, so using the time to train players isn't the worst thing in the world.